Coupling.



O..& V. IRELAN.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 53. 1915.

Patented June 6, 1916.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co.. WASHINGTON, n- C.

0. & v. IRELAN.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION men MAR. 9. 1915.

Patented June 6, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTIS IRELAN AND VERNE IRELAN, OF DRAKESVILLE, IOWA.

COUPLING.

Application filed March 9, 1915.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that We, OTIS IRELAN and VERNE IRELAN, citizens of the United States,

residing at Drakesville, in the county of Davis and State of Iowa, have invented newand useful Improvements in Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in means for operating the coupler pin and the draw head to release the knuckle thereof. I

In carrying out our invention it is our purpose to arrange upon the buffer of an engine a cylinder having an inner closed end, a hollow piston Within the cylinder, a spring surrounding the piston and adapted to force the same toward the closed end, to arrange within the cylinder a push rod and to connect the said push rod to the bell cranklever which is arranged upon a suitable support upon the bumper, the free end of the said bell crank lever being weighted and being connected to the coupling pin to provide for the admission of a fluid to the cylinder to lock the bell crank lever and partially withdraw the coupling pin to release the knuckle of the coupler.

We also aim to provide an uncoupling device operated by a fluid which is regulated from the cab of an engine, that shall embody the desirable features of simplicity, cheapness to manufacture and thorough efficiency in operation.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an uncoupling device operated from the cab of an engine so that the necessity of persons passing between the engine and the car to which the engine is connected will be obviated, and thus prevent accidents and possible loss of lives.

With the above and other objects in View, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steam engine and cab showing our improved arrangement upon the pilot or bumper of the engine and upon the bumper of the cab, parts being broken away and parts being illustrated by dotted lines, Fig. 2 is an end view of an electric motor provided with our improvement, Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged central vertical longitudi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Serial No. 13,183.

nal sectional view taken through the cylinder and piston. I

' outlet pipe 4 which communicates with the ordinary engineers valve for a pneumatic system, indicated by the numeral 5. Connected with the pipe is a pair of oppositely disposed pipes?) and 4 respectively, and also connected with the valve and intermediate the said pipes 3 and 4 is an exhaust pipe 5.

The fluid conducting pipes 3 and 4 lead to cylinders 6 arranged upon the bumpers? of both the engine 1 and the tender 2. Se-

cured upon the bumpers 7 is a draw head or coupler 8 provided with the usual pivoted knuckle 9 and with a pin 10 for sustaining the knuckle in either a locked or unlocked position. Also arranged upon the bumpers 7 is a vertically disposed standard 11, and pivotally secured to each of said standards is a bell crank lever 12. These bell crank levers each have their outer arms provided with an adjustable weight 13 and each of the said outer arms is connected with a bumper 10 by a flexible member, such as a chain 14. I

The numeral 15 designates a hand lever which may be employed for swinging the bell crank lever 12 to raise the pin 10 if desired.

The cylinder 3 has an inner closed end15 with which the pipe 4 communicates, while the opposite end of the cylinder is open. Arranged for longitudinal movement within each of the cylinders 6 is a hollow piston 16, the same having its inner end closed by a suitable cap, as indicated by the numeral 17, the opposite end being open. piston beyond its closed end 17 is of a less cross sectional diameter than that of the boreof the cylinder 6, and the outer end of said cylinder 6 is provided with a flange 18 which contacts with the outer periphery of the-hollow piston.

The numeral 19 designates a spring which The hollow I said piston, normally forcing the piston toward the closed end of the cylinder.

Arranged within the hollow piston 16 and preferably adjustable therein is a block 20.

having its outer face dished to receive the rounded head 21. of a push rod 22 and this push rod is pivotally connected with one of the arms of the bell crank lever, as indicated by the numeral 23.

The locomotive, while not necessarily, is

I primarily adapted to yard or switching purposes and it will be noted that when the valve 5 is operated by the handle 24 fluid may be admitted to either of the cylinders 15, to force the piston 26 outwardly thereof, thus, through the medium of the push rod 22, swinging the bell crank 2 upon its pivot and thus raise either of the coupler pins 10 to unlock the knuckle 9 of either of the draw heads, and furthermore, the valve is so arranged as to permit air simultaneously passing through both of the pipes 3 and st to each of the cylinders 6 so that the coupler upon both the tender and engine may be operated simultaneously if desired. lVhen the pin has been raised, the handle 24 is swung to permit the fluid from the cylinders to return through the pipes 3 and 4 to the exhaust pipe 5 and from thence to the atmosphere, the springs, in the meantime, returning the pistons to their initial positions. Of course, a small bleed port may be provided in the cylinder 6 so that all the fluid will be exhausted therefrom.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings, the device is ubstantially similar to that described, except that the same is shown in operative position upon the bumper of an electrically propelled locomotive, and instead of the cylinder being arranged horizontally as disclosed in Fig. 1, the same is sustained vertically upon the front of said locomotive.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the simplicity of the device, as well as the advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim is: r

In a device for the purpose set forth, a cylinder having one of its ends closed, a second cylinder of less diameter than the first cylinder and secured to the open end thereof to define a shoulder, the free end of the sec- 0nd mentioned cylinder having its edges inturned to form. a reduced opening, a hollow piston in the cylinders and extending through the said opening, the said. projecting end of the piston. being opened and its opposite end provided with a head, a longitudinally adjustable block in the said hollow'piston, a push rod connected with the block to permit of a swinging movement of the said push rod upon the said block, a spring surrounding the piston and exerting a tension between the head thereof and the inturned edge of the second mentioned cylinder to retain the piston within the cyline ders, and means for admitting a fluid through the closed end of the first mentioned cylinder to eject the piston from the cylinder, said shoulder limiting the outward movement of the piston.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

OTIS IRELAN. VERNE IRELAN, lVitnesses C. G. WILLIAMS, En JENNINGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the: Commissioner of .IPatentn; Washington, D. 0. 

